Ladle



(No Model.)

' R. W. GRACE.

LADLE.

Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-.

ROBERT V. GRACE, OF \VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LADLEY SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,575, datedOctober 6, 1891.

Application filed March 23, 1891.

Serial No. 386,042. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. GRACE, of Worcester, county of WVorcester,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Ladles, of whichthe following description,

in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts. i

This invention relates to vessels or receptacles, and is especiallyapplicable to that class of vessels known as ladles, used in mills,foundries, and like places to contain molten metal. g I This inventionhas for its object to provide ladles and like vessels with a valvemechanism, as will be described, which is simple, cheap in construction,and most efficient in operation, and which can be readily replaced whenworn out at a minimum expense. The valve is operated by a suitablemechanism, as will be described, from outside the vessel.

My invention therefore consists, essentially, in the combination, with aladle provided with a discharge-orifice, of a valve to normally closesaid orifice, and mechanism located outside the ladle andoperativelyconnected to the valve through the shell of the ladle,substantially as will be described.

Other features of my invention will be pointed out in the claims at theend of this specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a receptacle or ladle embodying myinvention; Fig. 2, an under side View of the valve-operating mechanismshown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a sectional detail, on an enlarged scale, tomore clearly show the valve and its operating mechanism, the sectionbeing supposed to be taken on line :0 0c, Fig.2; Fig. 4, a sectionaldetail of the valve-stem, taken on line as, Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6,details to be referred to.

The vessel or ladle composed, as herein shown, of an outer metallicshell or and alining a, of ganister or other refractory material, suchas now commonly employed,is pro- Vided, as herein shown, with adischarge-orifice, preferably located near the center of the bottom ofthe vessel or ladle. The dischargeorifice is normally closed by a valvea preferably of graphite or other refractory material and preferablybeveled on its under side, as at 2, (see Fig. 3,) to fit acorrespondinglytwo such port-openings herein shown substantiallydiametrically opposite each other, as clearly represented in Figs. 3 and4.

The hollow valve-stem b as-herein shown, is extended through the bottomof the outer shell of the ladle, and is operatively connected to thevalve-actuating mechanism, shown as a forked lever 11*", pivoted, as atb in any suitable manner to the ladle and provided, as shown, with ahandle b As herein represented, the valve-stem is provided onsubstantially diametrically-opposite sides with lugs or projections 0,(see Fig. 5,) which are engaged by two sets of lugs or projections c onsubstantially diametricallyopposite sides of a ring or collar 0 providedwith guiding lugs or ears 0 extending from the outer circumference ofthe said ring or collar substantially at right angles to theinwardlyprojecting lugs c, the said outwardly-projecting lugs h'avingnotches c to embrace guide bars or rods 0 secured to or forming part, asshown, of side bars or frames 0 secured to or forming part of the bottomof the ladle. The inwardly-projecting lugs c are separated by a spacesufficientlylarge to permit the ring to pass by or over the projectinglugs c on the valve-stem when the ring 0 or collar is fitted in placeupon the said valve-stem, the said ring or collar being given aquarter-turn to place the lugs c on the valve-stem between the lugs c onthe ring, and thus lock the said collar or ring to the valve-stem. Theforks of the lever 12 are extended under and engage the guiding lugs orears 0 on the ring 0 and act through the said collar, its lugs c, andthe lugs c on the valve-stem to raise the valvestem and thereby thevalve. The valve is normally seated, and when the ladle contains thefluid to be discharged, such as molten metal, the said valve is keptpressed onto its seat by the weight of the mass of metal or otherwise.

its seat by depressing the handle I), and the extent to which the valveis opened may be accurately governed, thereby controlling to a nicetythe amount of metal discharged from the ladle. As soon as the power isremoved from the handle, the valve a is seated, as herein shown, bygravity, assisted by the weight of metal above it, and the valve isaccurately seated as soon as the power is removed from thevalve-actuating mechanism or lever, thereby avoiding any possible wasteof metal. Furthermore, the valve and its seat when worn out may bereadily and quickly renewed at a minimum expense without disturbing thelining. So, also, the valve may be placed. in any desired part of thebottom of the ladle, and, if desired, it maybe placed in the side of theladle.

I claim- 1. The combination, with a ladle having a valve and providedwith one or more port: openings, and an actuating mechanism locatedoutside the ladle and acting on the said valve-stem, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with a ladle provided with a discharge-orifice, of asleeve of refractory material extending through said orifice, a valvelocated within the ladle and normally seated on said sleeve, a hollowvalve-stem provided with one or more port-openings, a guiding collar orring, a locking device to secure said collar or ring to the saidvalve-stem, and mechanism to operate on said collar or ring to operatethe valve, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a ladle provided with a discharge-orifice, of asleeve of refractory material extended through said orifice and providedwith an annular chamber 5, a valve located within the ladle and normallyseated on said sleeve, a hollow valve-stem provided with one or moreport-openings, a guiding collar or ring, and a locking device to securesaid collar or ring to the said valve-stem, and mechanism to operate onsaid collar or ring to operate the valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my names to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT W. GRACE.

Witnesses:

BERNIcE J. Novas, EDWARD F. ALLEN.

